‘Monsters’ Director To Helm ‘Godzilla’

Gareth Edwards signs on to direct an all new 'Godzilla' for Legendary Pictures.

Gareth Edwards is in final negotiations to develop and direct a new American remake of "Godzilla," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Legendary Pictures — the production company behind "The Dark Knight" and "Inception" — will co-produce and co-finance the film with Warner Brothers.

Although Edwards’ only previous film is the indie hit "Monsters," it garnered him recognition within the industry thanks to its fairly impressive special effects (which he handled himself) on a relatively small budget. "Monsters" revolved around a man and a woman attempting to escape an area of Mexico quarantined due to the invasion of alien monsters. Parts of that film are reminiscent of "Godzilla," particularly the final sequence with two giant monsters.

Legendary acquired the rights to "Godzilla" last March, with David Callaham attached to write the new take on the film. However, Edwards will reportedly work with a new writer on the script.

"Godzilla" is perhaps the most famous monster ever created in Japan. Beginning in 1954, "Godzilla" has gone on to star in 28 Japanese films, in addition to video games, comic books and even animated TV series. "Godzilla" was originally conceived as an allegory to the destructive power of nuclear weapons and the monster was sometimes used as a hero or antihero when he wasn’t depicted as an unyielding force of nature.

In 1998, director Roland Emmerich released his own American remake of "Godzilla" with Matthew Broderick in the lead human role. Despite relative worldwide box office success, the film has been largely rejected by the "Godzilla" fanbase for straying so far from the original material. In Japan, the American Godzilla creature is simply known as "Zilla" and it met its end at the hands of the real Godzilla during "Godzilla: Final Wars."